Clipmarks | bignosemousie's clips

Tauntaun sleeping bag

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:29:17 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: HA! I can see how this would be fun to own. If you go to the site you can see even more pics of the Tauntaun in action.

Not cheap at $99, and orders are limited to two Tauntauns per customer. Hurry! Printed internal intestines? Hahahaha!

Clip Source: www.thinkgeek.com

Classic Star Wars sleeping bag simulates the warmth of a Tauntaun carcass

Built-in embroidered Tauntaun head pillow

Great for playing pretend "Save Luke from the Wampa" games

This high-quality sleeping bag looks just like a Tauntaun, complete with saddle, printed internal intestines, and a plush lightsaber zipper pull. Now when your kids tell you their favorite Star Wars movie is "Attack of the Clones" you can nestle the wee-ones snug in simulated Tauntaun fur while regaling them with the amazing tale of "Empire Strikes Back".

Tags: esb is the best movie

Gorgonzola and cream cheese balls, bite-sized

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:18:16 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: Makes me want to have a party. But, also, how cute would these be in a pretty glass jar as a hostess gift?

Also a fun appetizer to bring to a party you are attending. Who doesn't like cheese?

Clip Source: www.recipezaar.com

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup gorgonzola, crumbled

2 tablespoons finely minced celery

1 tablespoon finely minced onion

2 tablespoons finely minced parsley

2 teaspoons chives, finely minced

salt and pepper

cayenne pepper

walnuts, finely chopped

In bowl combine cream cheese, gorgonzola, celery, parsley, onion, chives, and seasonings. Mix until well blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. Chill 1-2 hours.

Form cheese mixture into 3/4 inch balls and gently roll in nuts to cover completely. Place in single layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two days.

Tags: for antara

Sesame Street cake pops

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:16:18 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: Wow! Bakerella has outdone herself. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to make these, but she has great instructions at the source.

Look at the tiny little cookie in Cookie Monster's mouth!

Clip Source: www.bakerella.com

Tags: the air is sweet

Pumpkin pie bites

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:02:07 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: Bakerella does it again.

Clip Source: www.bakerella.com

2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.

Pumpkin cranberry cornbread: recipe

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:40:58 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: Can be made into muffins:

Transfer to the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with a little sugar (I used raw sugar) on top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until edges just begin to color. Cool to room temperature. Makes approximately 12-13 muffins.

Clip Source: www.momadvice.com

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, room
2 tablespoons honey

1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 8" x 8" baking pan or a 9-inch pie pan. In a bowl, toss together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In another mixing bowl, mix with a wooden spoon, the pumpkin puree, sour cream or buttermilk , butter, eggs and honey, until well combined. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture just until combined. Mix in the cranberries. Transfer to a prepared baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until edges just begin to color

lemon green beans

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:59:41 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: 5. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and serve.

Note: add toasted almonds before serving.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

1 pound green beans, cut

diagonally into 2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Fill a large pot with plenty of water (at least 6 quarts) and bring it to a boil. Add enough salt for it to taste like seawater.

2. Drop in the green beans and cook them until just blanched (tender-crisp), about 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Drain the beans and shock them in ice water. Drain again, pat them dry in a towel, and set aside until ready to use. (If overnight, refrigerate.)

4. Just before serving, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the beans and warm through over medium heat. If they're still too crunchy, you can continue warming them, stirring now and then, until they're the texture you like.

Roasted baby beets

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:19:21 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: I've never roasted beets before, but I've looked at about 20 recipes. This comes closest to what I wanted.

If anyone has a magic roasted beet recipe, feel free to share.

Clip Source: www.eatfoo.com

Baby beets (usually sold 4 per bunch), as many as you need.
Olive oil
Kosher salt

The algorithm:

Wash the beets, then cut off the tops of the beets (the side that would point up when they are in the ground--the side with the greens) flat, so that the beets can sit flat on that side. Brush the beets with olive oil (including the tails) and sit them in a pan on some foil. Roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until skins loosen and beets are somewhat tender. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for ten minutes.

Once cooled, slide skins off beets. If they won't just slide off, peel them with your fingers. Peel the little tails on the beets, too, but be careful with the tails so you don't break them. They make for a nice presentation, but they might have become brittle during roasting, so keep as much of them as possible.

Before serving, brush them with a bit of oil again, sprinkle them with salt, and put them back into the hot oven for 5 minutes.

Creating rituals in a chaotic world

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:20:08 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie

Clip Source: www.meaningfulcelebrations.com

Studies have shown that meaningful rituals are associated with increased marital satisfaction and a heightened sense of personal identity among adolescents.

Remember your elders. Include family elders in the creation and performance of family rituals to provide them an opportunity to pass down traditions, and to give children a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves.

Include the kids. Let children help create their own meaningful rites of passage for coming of age from adolescence to adulthood. Ask them, for example, what they would like to take with them on their journey forward and what they would like to leave behind.

Celebrate milestones. Use ceremony to mark passages such as retirement or career change, or to commemorate the beginning or end of business relationships.

Home sweet home. Honor the space that you live in by creating a new house dedication or blessing ceremony. Have everyone pitch in to plant a tree to truly make the plot your own.

The importance of rituals

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:50:51 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie

Clip Source: www.helium.com

We often think of rituals in a religious context, but anytime we adopt a systematic behavior in any area of our life, we are performing a ritual.

Rituals are important because they give us a sense of control over our lives. They allow us to behave in an orderly fashion without succumbing to distractions, tangents and extraneous demands. Rituals help us to be more organized and productive.

Individuals who perceive their childhood as "happy," will often relate tales of how their family had traditions and routines they could count on to occur without fail.

Clip Source: www.helium.com

The rituals we carry out in our daily life provide us with a safe, and secure base from which to operate.

It has been found that daily rituals help to promote ease and calm by reducing stress, or at least alleviating it for a while.

Clip Source: www.helium.com

What makes a ritual a principal point in daily life, is the fact it bears meaning to anyone who carries out a custom filled with feeling from the heart.

Scarecrow cookies

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:43:27 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: So cute! What a great idea for any fall holiday parties going on at a school or a bake sale.

Clip Source: reluctantentertainer.com

Tags: cookies, kids

Welcome Home!

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:48:02 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: What a nice idea. I'm going to try this. It is hard when you have little kids, because dinner time is always crazy time, but maybe if I get it done a little earlier...

Clip Source: asoftplace.net

What if we greeted our own family with the same attitude and and enthusiasm as we greet our guests? With a big smile, a welcoming hug and a warm “Welcome Home”!

I’ll admit I’m often busy or preoccupied when The Hubster gets home from work. On a good day, he may get a quick “Hi Hon” and not much more.

So today, I’m going to make a purposeful effort to greet my own family with the same love and enthusiasm as I would greet a guest. For me, that will probably mean a big smile, a hug and an undistracted conversation. And this doesn’t just apply to The Hubster. I’m going to give the kids this same treatment.

And if you’re the one arriving home to your family, what if you made a purposeful effort to come home with a loving attitude, a cheerful smile and a warm greeting?

Let’s get to it. Go hug somebody.

Tags: i've missed you so!

Apple Bean Bake: recipe

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:38:02 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: I think I can halve this recipe with no problems.

Do you think adding bacon would be good? I do.

Clip Source: www.cdkitchen.com

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
6 cups Granny Smith apples, cored and cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium ketchup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon salt
24 ounces can Great Northern beans, undrained
24 ounces can Pinto beans, undrained

Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet; add apples and cook until tender. Stir in sugars, ketchup, cinnamon, molasses, and salt. Add beans, mix well. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high setting for 2 to 4 hours.

Water for Christmas

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:47:59 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: $20 gives 1 person water for 20 years.

Clip Source: www.charitywater.org

Every day 4,500 mothers bury their children due to contaminated water. They are forced to sustain the lives of their family with a diabolical liquid that contains both life and death. This lack of access to clean water is recognized as the leading cause of death in underdeveloped nations. And it just doesn't have to be.
For a fraction of what Americans spend during the holidays, the whole world could be equipped with life-saving, clean water. So we are coming together to trade consumerism for compassion and buy Water For Christmas. And we are starting in West Africa.

charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of the money goes to direct project costs. With the help of exemplary organizations on the ground and individuals here, we can drill wells and provide people with this basic, essential need.

Which children's charity should I choose?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:13:55 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: The CCA website lets you check out more than 100 charities. You can even search by keywords to find a charity that matches your interest.

You can also purchase gift certificates and let the recipient choose which charity they would like the donation to go toward.

Clip Source: www.childrenscharities.org

How we care for children, protect their welfare, and prepare them for the future are the most important issues we face during our lifetime. Children's Charities of America is a coalition comprised of many of America's finest charitable organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of children.

[Video]

Tags: children, charity, hope, makes you feel good

That's pretend, right?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:05:02 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: In the spirit of thankfulness and giving, I'd like to remind my fellow Clippers that they can offer hope and rescue to kids in peril.

Find a charity that supports children abroad or at home, in a desperate country or in your own neighborhood. Find a cause and support it.

It really is true that every single penny helps. It really is true that a single person can make a difference. It really is true that hope is the greatest gift you can give. Give some hope to a child.

Thank you.

Clip Source: stuffchristianslike.net

Out of nowhere, my daughters will say something that is punch you in the stomach profound and then do a ballet twirl and go play with dolls.

We were looking at a book on storms and came to a page about drought and famine. In the corner was a little boy who was starving. His ribs were sticking out and flies covered his small face. I kept flipping the pages but L.E. made me stop and return to that one. She asked, “What’s that?” I told her, “That’s a little boy who doesn’t have enough food to eat.” She thought for a few seconds and then responded, “That’s not real though. That’s pretend right?”

Here’s what I heard:

“Wait, wait, wait, are there other 6 year olds like me somewhere without food?

Is the L.E. in Africa starving?

Is the L.E. in Asia being sold into slavery?

Is the L.E. in Atlanta scared because she’s been home alone all weekend because her family abandoned her?

Why aren’t we doing something?

Why is that OK?

Where is the rescue? Where is the hope?

Tags: charity, children, hope